How Far We've Come
by Megan13
Summary: AU. Five years after he left New York, Derek's about to find out just how much things have changed since he's been gone. Maddison. Finally, a NEW CHAPTER!
1. Epilogue

**HFWC with little changes here and there. Nothing big or exciting. Title and song lyrics by Matchbox 20.**

_Waking up at the start of the end of the world..._

"Derek?"

"Hey Kathleen." Derek smiles as his sister pulls open the door to their childhood home. "How's it going?"

"Good," Kathleen says slowly, confused at her brother's sudden appearance. "Derek, what are you doing here?"

"It's Thanksgiving," Derek says, his smile faltering. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Of course," Kathleen tells him hastily. She pauses and adds, "It's just... Well, you've turned down the invitation for five years. Including this one."

"Well I can turn around and head back to Seattle if you don't want me here." And now he's upset. Sure, he hasn't stepped foot in New York, much less his mother's house in five years. But he thinks that after finding his wife in bed with his best friend he has a pretty good reason to stay away for as long as possible.

"No, it's just... Well we weren't expecting you," Kathleen says lamely. "We didn't set enough spots at the table."

Derek isn't impressed with her excuses. "I can sit at the kid's table."

"Oh Derek." Kathleen sighs and steps forward to wrap her arms around her older brother's neck. "I'm very happy to see you. And we'll make room. You don't have to sit with the kids unless you want to."

"I've missed you Crazy Katie," Derek whispers into his sister's hair.

"Don't call me that," Kathleen says as she pulls back and playfully slaps his shoulder. "I'm not five anymore."

"You'll always be five to me," Derek teases.

"And you'll always be my dorky older brother, the band geek," Kathleen returns. She pushes the door open farther with her foot and gestures for Derek to follow her into the house. "I'm just going to head into the kitchen to let Mom know you're here. I think some of the guys are in the living room watching football."

Derek chuckles and begins down the long hallway towards the living room. He stops, though, to take a look at all the small children gracing the walls of the hallway. On one side are pictures of him and his sisters that chronicle their school years. The other side is a myriad of school photos and snapshots of his nieces and nephews. Although he hasn't seen any of the children in over five years, he recognizes most of them from pictures sent over the years. There are, however, a few faces he can't place. He knows that Rachel gave birth to his youngest niece about a year ago but she really never was very good at keeping him updated.

After a few minutes of admiring the pictures of the children, of which he wishes he could have one or two of his own to add to the collection, Derek wanders into the living room. He's instantly taken back to the days when his father and uncles used to sit around the television while his mother and aunts slaved away in the kitchen preparing the Thanksgiving meal. The memory in itself makes him smile. The smile instantly widens as he catches the look of surprise on his brothers-in-law faces.

"Derek," Ben, Nancy's husband, sputters first. "Hey Buddy. I thought you were staying in Seattle for the holiday."

"I thought it would be fun to shake things up," Derek tells him as he's pulled into a brotherly hug. Each of the men take their turns and, before he's able to sit, his mother crashes into the living room, knocks him backwards, and refuses to let go.

"Don't ever leave for so long ever again," she scolds and slaps him lightly on the forehead. "I've missed you."

"Me too Mom," he tells her and sits up, looking around. "Now, where's my Lexie? It is Lexie, right?"

"Yeah," Mike, the proud parent, says and cocks his head to the stairs. "She's upstairs taking a nap with..." Mike trails off and looks at Derek uneasily. "Uh, she's napping."

"Oh," Derek says, noticing the way the others are looking at him hesitantly. His eyes focus on his mother and he asks, "Well do you mind if I go peek in?"

"Of course not," Emily tells him hastily, swatting at the air with her hand. She jerks her head at the stairs. "Come on. I'll go with you."

"I don't know," Ben says quickly. "She's such a light sleeper. Right Mike?"

"It's fine," Emily grinds out, warning. "She'll sleep through it."

"But-"

Emily glares at Keith, Kathleen's husband, and he sighs.

"Come on Derek." Emily places her hand on his back and gently steers him up the steps.

"Did I do something wrong?" Derek asks softly, worried at everyone's reaction upon seeing him.

"Oh no, honey." Emily shakes her head and starts softly, "But there's something you should know. Just after you left-"

But Derek doesn't hear a word she says because all he can hear is buzzing in his ears and the world has begun to spin madly on its hinges. He wants to see them. Really. He does. Just... He takes an involuntary step backwards. Just not like this.

In the very back bedroom, Addison is sitting on the corner of the bed holding Lexie while Mark is stooped over the bed changing another baby girl's diaper. Derek has to clutch the doorhandle as he watches Mark snap the baby's pants into place, blow her a raspberry, and scoop her into his arms. Both Addison and the baby giggle as Mark crosses his eyes and sticks out his tongue. And then he mutters the words that Derek never believed would ever come from Mark Sloan's lips, "Daddy loves his little Princess. Yes, he does."

Derek physically feels as if he's been sucker-punched and looks at his mother, clearly in shock.

"...Allie." She nods to the little girl in Mark's arms.

"They..." He swallows; hard. "They have a daughter?"

"And a son," Emily says quietly. "He's downstairs in the basement playing video games with the other boys."

"They have a son and a daughter?" Derek lets his head fall back against the opposing door with a thud. "Together?"

Emily nods.

"How old?"

"Allie's thirteen months." Emily takes a deep breath, knowing that this might just kill her only son. "And Kyle is almost five."

"Almost five?" Derek chokes out. "So she was pregnant..."

"It was that first time," Emily deals the blow.

Derek's eyes widen dramatically. Coming from such a big family, he's always wanted a large, noisy family of his own. It was a dream come true when Addison had shared his sentiments. Only, the dream quickly turned into a nightmare as the months of trying came and went without anything to show. And then finally he'd finally gotten tested and found that it was because of him that they couldn't have children without medical interference. "Low sperm count," the doctor had said, unknowingly nailing the coffin shut on their marriage.

"The first time?" Derek whispers. "He got her pregnant the first time?"

Emily nods. "She was a wreck though."

Derek snorts.

"No, really," Emily says, softly yet forcefully. "She almost got an abortion but, well... Mark was great. They really love each other Derek."

"Oh," is all that he can formulate before Addison looks up and their eyes lock. Derek freezes, doesn't even take a breath as Addison, never breaking eye contact, whispers, "Mark."

"Huh?"

Addison nods at Derek, whose eyes slide to a shocked Mark.

Emily, thankfully, takes charge of the situation by grabbing Derek by the wrist and forcefully pulls him into the room. She stops in front of the three and forces a big, fat grin. "Derek here wanted to see his niece and I thought it would be a good time to introduce Allie as well."

"Oh," Mark says, his lips freezing in position.

"Uh," Addison says, looking up at her husband for support before holding Lexie out for Derek to take, "here she is."

"Oh," Derek echoes Mark as he takes the baby into his arms. He, however, doesn't have eyes for the girl in his arms, but opts to study the baby Mark has pulled tightly to his chest. A crown of strawberry blonde rests atop her head and the most brilliant blue eyes he's ever seen peak out at him curiously from behind her father's arm. Derek smiles at her and she giggles, her little lips bowed like a cherub's. She is quite literally breathtaking and he tells them so.

"Thanks," Mark says, his grip loosening slightly on the baby.

"We think so," Addison tells him and smiles proudly down at her daughter.

"She'll be just as pretty as her mother when she's older," Derek says, bouncing his niece slightly.

"Oh no she won't," Mark says. "If I have anything to do with it she'll have glasses and big metal braces and won't attract any boys until she's at least thirty."

Derek lets out a genuine chuckle. "Sorry, but I don't think you'll be that lucky."

"You should see Kyle," Emily tells him, beaming. "That boy is his father through and through. He's definitely going to be a lady-killer."

Derek visibly pales at the mention of their son and instantly hands his niece back to Addison. He's down the stairs and out the front door only seconds later. After he's finally stopped gasping for air he realizes that someone has parked behind him and, unless he wants to go back inside, he's stuck for the time being. So he takes a seat on the front step and lets his face fall into his hands.

He hears the door open and shut softly a moment later and groans audibly.

"Derek?"

Derek licks his lips and looks up into Addison's hesitant eyes. "Hi."

"Hi," she says and nudges him with her foot. "You mind if I join you?"

Derek shrugs.

"So." Addison chews on her bottom lip nervously. "How is Seattle?"

Derek shrugs again.

"I thought you'd bring your intern with you," she says. "Last I heard you were about to pop the question."

"We broke up last month," Derek mumbles. "Apparently, I stopped noticing her."

"Oh."

"Did he really get you pregnant the first time?" Derek blurts out before he can stop himself.

Addison sighs and sits back so that she's resting on her palms. "Yeah. Yeah he did."

"My mom said that you thought of aborting him," Derek says. "Why?"

"I... He wasn't yours, you know?" Addison's eyebrows knit in concentration. "I had just always thought that I'd be having your baby, not Mark's. And you were gone and I had no idea where you'd gone. It was difficult."

Derek nods.

"I even made the appointment but then Mark brought home this calender with the due date circled and the most adorable Yankee's onsie and... I just couldn't do it." She smiles. "It's the best decision I've ever made."

"Is that why you wouldn't see me while you were in Seattle?" Derek asks carefully.

Addison shakes her head. "I had already moved on by that time. I was four months pregnant and, no offense, I was finally with the man of my dreams." She pauses and chuckles softly. "I had been in love with Mark for years and just never realized it."

Derek's jaw clenches.

"I'm not telling you this to hurt you," Addison says. "But I want you to understand that what we had... We went through the motions Derek, but that was all. For months I had been coming home to the man who loved me and he just wasn't you."

"So there's no way that we could ever..." Derek looks at the ground. "Never mind."

"Oh Derek." Addison places a comforting hand on Derek's shoulder. "Please tell me that's not a reason you came out here."

And honestly, Derek can't say whether that's the reason he came home or not. For months he's been thinking about her and their relationship. In fact, he even created more problems in his relationship with Meredith (she called it subliminal sabotage) because of his sudden infatuation with his college days. He'd talked about Addison constantly and even started pointing out differences between her and Meredith. The problem is that he even went as far as to point out these differences to Meredith herself.

So maybe, just maybe, a part of him was hoping that he would run into her on the streets of New York while he was in town. And, if for some crazy reason, she invited him for dinner he would say yes in an instant. And maybe she'd ask him in for coffee and they'd talk for hours like they did in the early years of their marriage. And this one night could possibly lead to the rest of his life.

"The thought crossed my mind once or twice," Derek tells her nonchalantly.

"Seriously?" Addison asks, somewhat amused. "You thought I'd wait around for five years, twiddling my thumbs? Just waiting for you to come back to me?"

"I..." Derek scowls. "No. I knew you had to have moved on. I just had that little flicker of hope in the back of my mind. And you just... You moved on so fast."

"Oh come on," Addison teases. "Nancy told me you were head over heels in love with that intern a week after you left."

Derek shrugs and lets out a deep breath, his shoulders hunching over in defeat. "God, I really never thought I'd end up alone."

"Oh Derek." Addison leans into him comfortingly. "You're not alone. I know that we have our issues, but you will always be welcome in our home. We're still family, you know."

"Thanks Ad," Derek whispers. "Really. That means a lot to me."

Addison nods and pushes off the step. "Come on. I have someone I want you to meet."

"I can't."

"Derek."

"Addison, no."

And he can't. He just can't. Although it doesn't seem to make sense, even to himself, Kyle represents the destruction of his marriage and the validation of what happened between Mark and Addison. The mere existence of the child is like a slap in the face to the man who, for a good ten years of his life, dreamed of his own children only to be shot down. Where Derek failed, Mark overcame and Derek just can't deal with that right now.

"Maybe later then," Addison says softly as she runs her fingers through Derek's hair. She sighs and steps past him inside.

He's only alone for a moment, however, before the door creaks open once again. This time, Derek turns and chuckles as Mark's head peeks out at him from behind the door. He pats the ground which Addison has just vacated and watches as Mark slowly eases himself down next to him.

"So it's your turn, huh?" Derek asks.

"I guess," Mark tells him.

Derek nods and they sit in silence for a few moments before Mark says softly, "I know that you hate me and I'm sorry for how things happened, but I am not, _not_, sorry that they did. I drove myself crazy for years telling myself that loving Addison was wrong, but I can't do that to myself anymore."

"I understand Mark," Derek says softly.

"Furthermore, I think that-" Mark stops and looks at him, confused. "Wait, what?"

"I understand," Derek repeats. "I'll never forget what happened. If fact, your bare ass is ingrained in my mind indefinitely."

Mark nods.

"But after watching you with Allie today," Derek takes a deep breath, "and seeing how happy you make Addison, I'm able to finally let it go."

"I..."

"Mark, can we just leave it at that?" Derek asks, his eyes pleading with Mark to drop it.

"Okay," Mark says. He chuckles and softly punches Derek's arm. "Just don't go trying to win her back."

Even though it's meant as a joke, the look of vulnerability in Mark's eyes makes Derek's heart hurt. Even after all these years, after he's finally got the girl, Mark is still afraid he'll lose her to his best friend. Even though he talks a good game, Derek's known since they were small that Mark is just covering for a serious case of low self-esteem.

"No." Derek shakes his head. "I won't."

Mark nods. "Yeah… Yeah, I know."

They sit in a comfortable silence for a few more minutes before they're called in for dinner. Kathleen points out his place card, which has been hastily drawn with brown crayon, and Derek takes his seat between his mother and Rachel. Once Addison and Nancy have finally returned to the table from calming the kids, they all bow their heads as Emily recites the grace. She includes a special thanks for Derek's sudden appearance and stresses the importance of family and forgiveness. It's then time for everyone to go around the table and say what they're thankful for. Lisa mentions her kindergarten class, while Kathleen opts for her nightly glass of wine, and Rachel states the obvious: Lexie.

"Another chance," Addison says when it's her turn. She gives Derek a meaningful look and turns to Mark. "And yours?"

"I'm thankful for that thing you do with..." Mark trails off amidst a round of giggles and snorts. "I forgot, not dinner appropriate."

Addison slaps his shoulder.

"Family," Mark says simply and looks across the table to Derek. "_All_ of my family. Even Nancy Pants."

"Hey!" Nancy scowls. "Addison, hit your husband again."

Derek inhales sharply at Nancy's words.

"And what about you Derek?" Emily prods. "What are you thankful for, Honey?"

"I..." Derek shrugs. "I'll have to get back to you on that."

Emily nods understandingly and claps her hands. "Dig in everyone."

Hours later, as everyone is lounging around the house with their bellies full, Derek wanders out to the backyard. Coming home has always taken a lot out of him, even when he was younger, and what with the day's events he's completely drained. All he wants to do is sit on the deck and enjoy the unseasonable warmth that has swept through the East coast.

Only, when he steps outside he notices that he isn't alone. Swinging in the hammock next to the deck furniture is a small boy around five reading Dr Suess. Derek knows exactly who he is at once. If the dirty blonde hair and smirk don't give it away, then the way the boy pulls his oversized aviators over his icy blue eyes does. It's as if Derek has stepped back thirty-five years and is staring at his best friend all over again.

"Kyle?" Derek asks cautiously.

The boy looks up and cocks his head to the side. "Yeah?"

Derek can't help but smile. "Hi. I'm Derek. Your mom and dad's friend."

"Hi Derek," Kyle says, waving.

The way his name rolls off Kyle's tongue causes Derek's smile to widen. He steps up to the hammock and tilts his head so that he can read the title of the book. "What are you reading?"

"The Cat in the Hat," Kyle tells him and holds out the book. "It's my favorite."

"Really? I loved that book too."

"You did?"

"Yep." Derek points to the hammock. "Do you mind if I sit with you?"

"Sure," Kyle says and happily scoots to make room. "But you have to read to me."

Derek chuckles and nods. "Deal."

"Thank you," Kyle says properly and hands the book to Derek.

After Derek finishes the book he sits with Kyle for a while longer and listens as the boy recounts endless stories about his dad and his sister and his friends. Derek genuinely laughs when Kyle tells him that his dad let him watch Top Gun and now it's his favorite movie. "But Momma says I watch it too much and that under no circumsense will I be a fight pilot," Kyle tells him. "But it would be so cool!"

Finally, Emily pokes her head out the back door and scolds the two for holding up dessert. "But we were _talking_ Gammy," Kyle tells her as if that answers everything. She ruffles his hair as he saunters past her.

Derek watches as Kyle enters the house and realizes that, if out of his ruined marriage came two wonderful little people, then maybe it wasn't all for nothing. Maybe things hadn't gone exactly as he thought they would, but right now he wouldn't change the chain of events for anything.

"You coming?" Emily asks.

Derek nods and pauses just as he's passing her. "You really want to know what I'm thankful for Mom?"

"Sure Honey."

"I'm grateful that no matter what I'll always have someone to come home to," he says. "And I'm grateful that things always seem to have a way of working themselves out."

And, he thinks, they just may have.

_**Please Review**_


	2. Chapter 2

**To tell you the truth, there's not really any changes to this chapter... Hope you like.**

**-- -- -- -- --**

"It's about damn time," Emily says as she throws open the door to find Mark, wet and shivering, on her doorstep

"It's about damn time," Emily says as she throws open the door to find Mark, wet and shivering, on her doorstep. "Why the hell haven't you called?"

Mark's teeth are chattering as he whispers, "I thought you hated me."

Emily sighs and cocks her head as she gestures for Mark to enter the house. "Come on Sweetie. Get in here before you catch pneumonia."

Mark nods and slowly takes a few steps into the house. He hands his coat to Emily when she holds out her hand for it and waits, shuffling his feet, until she places her hand on the small of his back and guides him through the hallway to the living room. She points to the couch and demands that he sits while she rushes to the kitchen for some coffee.

"So," she says, handing Mark the steaming mug, "you think I hate you? That's why you haven't called?"

"Yes." Mark takes a deep, shaky breath. "I ruined your son's marriage."

"Come on Mark," Emily says with a chuckle, "I think we all know that Derek ruined his own marriage. You just happened to be there when it went down in flames."

"I slept with his wife Em," Mark mutters, his eyes staring unwaveringly at the floor. "I would hate me if I were you."

"You're my son-"

"I'm not," Mark tells her, looking her in the eyes for the first time since he's arrived on her doorstep. "I'm not your son. Derek is your son and I ruined his marriage. You should hate me."

"Derek spent eleven years ruining his marriage, Mark. Not you," Emily tells him. "That first time he chose a surgery over his wife was the beginning of the end." She glares at him. "And I may not have given birth to you, but you are for all intents and purposes my son."

Mark pushes his palms to his eyes for a few seconds before pushing off the couch and onto his feet. He begins pacing back and forth in front of the couch as Emily watches worriedly from her spot on the chair. A few times he pauses and looks as if he's about to say something, but shakes his head and swallows heavily instead.

After a full five minutes of this back and forth action Emily, beside herself with worry, speaks up, "Mark, you're scaring me."

Mark stops his pacing and faces her, his jaw working in circles. "I love her. I love her and we've been living together since Derek disappeared."

"Oh hell," Emily says as she takes a deep breath. "You're living together?"

Mark nods.

Emily is about to ask him what the hell he's thinking when his eyes drift upwards to the ceiling. It's his guilty tell. She narrows her eyebrows. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I-"

"Don't give me that Mark," Emily warns. "I've known you since you were three. I know what every look, stance, and gesture means. Now what aren't you telling me?"

Mark runs his hand through his hair. "Addison's pregnant."

Emily blinks.

"Em?" Mark ventures slowly after a few moments of silence. "You're getting ready to scream, aren't you?"

"Not scream," Emily says after a slight hesitation. "Are you sure?"

Mark rolls his eyes. "She's the top OB-GYN in the country. I think she knows the signs. Plus Savvy forced her to take six home tests and two blood tests. There's no doubt."

"So what are your plans?" Emily asks, eyeing him carefully. She's known him his whole life and although he usually runs towards problems instead of away from them, she's worried he may pull a Derek. Mark may be thirty-eight years old, but sometimes he still acts like a teenager. "You do have plans, right?"

"I'm staying, if that's what you're asking," Mark says, glaring slightly. "I watched her walk down the aisle with Derek believing that time was up. I thought I'd never get my chance. There's no way I'm not walking away just because the situation isn't the ideal one I'd anticipated."

Emily takes a deep breath and stands so that she's only inches away from Mark. She places her hands on his cheeks and smiles so widely that he swears it touches her ears. "Then let me be the first to say congratulations."

"Thanks Mom," Mark says, chuckling. "That means a lot to me."

She nods and steps back into the chair. "So what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home with your pregnant girlfriend? She is your girlfriend, right?"

Mark shrugs. "I guess that's what you'd call the woman sleeping beside me every night who happens to be carrying my child yet still refuses to take off her wedding band."

"Oh Mark," Emily says with a sigh. "You got into a fight."

"She won't take off the rings," Mark tells her. "Like, completely refuses. And the divorce papers are sitting on our dresser like they're a bill or a letter or something." The back of his eyes begin to sting. "She told me she's thinking of aborting the baby."

"What?" Out of everything Emily has heard in the past few months, this is the thing that worries her the most. Sure, her son took off and no one's quite sure where he is, but he's resourceful and has a good head on his shoulders and she's not _too _worried about him. But Mark and Addison are a different story all together. Mark doesn't believe he deserves to be loved at all while Addison doesn't know who loves her most. They both came into her life damaged and self-destructive. She'll be damned if she lets them resort back to that any more than they already have.

"I told her that I'll support her no matter what," Mark says. "I said that it's her body and that puts the ball in her court."

"Are you insane?" Emily scoffs and gets to her feet again. "That child is half yours Mark. You go get her something heartfelt, and not flowers, and apologize for being an ass. Then you tell her that if she needs to take her time with this whole Derek thing to do it and that you will wait for as long as it takes. And then you tell her very firmly, but not aggressively, that the baby is yours too and that you can't wait to become a Daddy in a few months. You get that?"

Mark nods.

"Addison needs to know that you're supporting her as the father of her child, not as the guy who knocked up his best friend's wife," Emily says.

Mark continues nodding.

"And if you have any problems," Emily gives him a long, hard look, "you send her to me."

"Thanks Em," Mark says as he takes a deep breath and wraps his arms around the woman who raised him like he was her own. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd do just fine, Mark," Emily says and squeezes him around the middle. "Just fine."


	3. Chapter 3

**This was the chapter I had the most issues with. But I'm much happier with this version.**

-- -- -- -- --

A few weeks following his semi-tearful reunion with Emily Shepard, Mark sits in the living room of his apartment with Addison's back resting lightly against his chest. He lays his cheek on the top of her head and takes a deep breath as she sighs contentedly. They've slowly and steadily been working on their relationship since Mark came home all those weeks ago to explain gently, yet firmly, that he intended to be the father he himself never had. He then pulled out the Yankee's onsie he'd spent hours pondering over and the Sesame Street calender with their child's due date marked from a bag on the kitchen table and handed them to Addison. The tears began immediately. Mark pulled her into his arms and whispered reassuring words about their future until she finally smiled up at him and he took her to bed.

After a few minutes of uninterrupted silence, Addison asks softly, "Do you want a boy or a girl?"

Mark raises his eyebrows. This is the first time Addison has mentioned anything baby related that doesn't have to do with an appointment or statistics in months. He knows that she's still trying to resolve her lingering guilt over Derek, her trepidation regarding him, and the gnawing fear of becoming a mother and so he understands her choice to stay quiet until she's ready. This, he thinks, is a step in the right direction.

"I know it's cliche but," he shrugs, "I don't really care as long as it's healthy."

"Liar. You want a boy," Addison teases as she turns her face to grin up at him. "Admit it."

"Doesn't every guy want to have a son?" Mark asks, and kisses her forehead.

"I guess," she admonishes. "A boy wouldn't be too bad. Have you thought of any names?"

"A-Rod?" Mark suggests. "Or Joe?"

"Or Der…" Addison clamps her mouth shut as her eyes grow to the size of saucers.

"Jeter," Mark says lightly, saving the moment. "Although, I'm not sure if I want to name my son after the only reason you go to see Yankees games."

Addison raised her eyebrows, questioningly.

"Don't give me that look," Mark chuckles and taps her nose. "I know you stare at his ass the whole time."

Addison giggles. "What about for a girl? And I'm not naming her Babe Ruth so you can close your mouth right now."

Mark grins. "Actually, I'd like to name her after Emily."

"She'd like that," Addison tells him, nodding her approval. "She'd like that a lot."

"Or we could just pull a George Foreman and name all our kids Mark," Mark says with a shrug.

"Unlikely," Addison scoffs with a giggle. She sobers slightly and says, "You seem excited."

"I am," he tells her. "I really am."

After a few moments Addison smiles and nods and says, "Me too."

They stare at each other for a few moments before Addison turns her attention back to the television. Mark, once again, lies his cheek against the top of her head and watches as Harry meets Sally. Or someone's Sleepless in Seattle. He's not really sure which movie they're watching.

"Mark?" Addison asks after ten minutes of intense movie watching.

"Hm?"

"Richard Webber called me earlier today," she says softly.

"Webber called?" Mark asks, remembering the man from his time as an intern. Webber hadn't been his actual resident like he'd been for Addison and Derek, but he'd worked with him for a full year before Mark transferred to a hospital with a better Plastics program.

Addison nods without turning around. "He's the Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace now."

"What the hell is he doing in Seattle?" Mark asks with a scoff.

"His wife is from there," Addison says.

"Oh."

"He's got a TTTS case he wants me to consult on." Addison glances at him before turning her attention back to the television. "I'll only be gone for three or four days."

"That's not too bad," Mark says. "I'll miss you though."

Addison bites her lip. "Mark, he told me Derek's there. At Seattle Grace."

Mark's veins turn to ice as he stiffens. "Der... Derek?"

Addison nods against his chest.

"So you'll be with Derek while you're there?" Mark asks, worried.

"I didn't say that," Addison states quietly and pulls away. She props herself up so that she's twisted at the waist, looking at Mark intently. "I don't plan to see him."

"You'll be working at the same hospital as him," Mark says as he, too, pushes himself up into an upright position. "You'll be working at the same hospital as him across the country from me."

"Mark..."

"You're going to try to get him back. Aren't you?"

"Oh Mark." Addison sighs at the look of complete devastation on Mark's face. She reaches out to him and softly places her palm over his cheek. "Of course not."

"But what happens if he sees you and he wants you back?" Mark asks in a small voice. "Would you stay with him?"

"No," Addison says resolutely. "No, I wouldn't."

"But..." Mark takes a deep breath. "But Ad, you still haven't even taken off your rings. And the papers are still sitting on our dresser completely blank."

Addison smiles and gets to her feet. "Mark, just wait here. Okay?"

Mark's eyebrows knot in confusion, but he nods and sits still until Addison returns a few moments later. She thrusts a packet of paperwork into his hands and watches as a look of recognition crosses his face. However, he's still confused so she tells him, "Look through it."

Mark glances at her before he slowly flips the first page. A grin comes to his face as he begins flipping though the pages faster and faster. At last he comes to the very last page and looks up at Addison. "You've signed it. You've signed the whole thing."

Addison nods.

"So..."

"I'm not just going out there on a consult," Addison tells him. "I want to push the divorce through. I want to get these papers signed and then I want to come home to you."

Mark swallows heavily. "So it'll be over? Completely over?"

"Yes," Addison says. She gasps and grins at him and pulls her wedding rings off of her finger. "I think it's about time these came off as well."

Mark can't help the grin that spreads across his face at the sight of her bare ring finger.

"Come on," Addison says and pulls Mark into the kitchen by his hand. She pulls him to the sink, holds her rings over the drain, and drops them. They hit the bottom of the drain with a clang. "It's not as dramatic as throwing them off a ferry or something, but this comes pretty close."

And with that she flips on the garbage disposal.


	4. Chapter 4

**Again, not a lot of changes. It's mostly little dialogue fixes.**

-- -- -- -- --

Mark knows that he's at the center of one of the biggest scandals to hit Mt. Sinai since Chief Cain left her husband for another woman three years ago, but it still drives him crazy that the rest of the staff has nothing better to do than snicker and glare at him whenever he walks by them. It was especially bad after Derek first disappeared. Somehow everyone in the hospital knew the entire story within hours of the actual event and the rumors had already begun circulating by the time he arrived for his shift the following afternoon. Those rumors, however, are nothing compared to the ones that Addison's pregnancy ignited.

They've kept it a secret for as long as possible, hoping in vain that something more catastrophic would befall one of their fellow doctors and provide enough fodder for them to be overlooked. Unfortunately, the rumor mill has been unusually slow for weeks and, because she couldn't hide her bump behind baggy scrubs or flowy dresses any longer, the second Addison waltzes into the hospital wearing a fitted sweater the rumor mill goes into sudden overdrive.

In fact, Mark is fairly certain he even sees one of the nurses pull a neck muscle in her effort to get a good look at Addison's entrance. He takes a deep breath and, though they've been trying to keep away from each other at work, quickly makes his way to her side. Even though she's got that determined look in her eyes, she can't hide the look of relief that washes over her as he approaches and, after a quick glance at the crowded nurse's station, takes his hand in hers.

Neither can ignore the collective gasp from the nurse's station.

"You've got balls, my dear," Mark murmurs appreciatively. "Great, big balls."

"I figured it's easier to just get it out of the way," she tells him quietly as they wind through the hall. She pushes the button for the elevator and turns to him. "You're not mad are you?"

"Hell no," Mark says. "I just thought you wanted to keep it quiet a little while longer."

"It's not like I can really hide it anymore anyway," Addison says with a sigh as the elevator doors open. She raises her eyebrows at the people in the elevator who are unabashedly staring at them with wide eyes. They don't move until Mark clears his throat. "We're getting this all day, aren't we?"

Mark nods as they step into the elevator. As the doors close he reaches around Addison and pushes the emergency stop button. She's about to protest when he cups her face in his hands and smiles down at her. "You look beautiful today."

"Thanks," Addison says softly. She swallows heavily. "You look quite handsome yourself."

"Thanks." Mark frowns. "Are you okay? I mean, about all of this?"

"No." Addison shakes her head and takes a deep breath as tears begin pooling in her eyes. "But there's not much we can do about it now."

"We could move to Canada," Mark jokes. "Ooh, or how about Hawaii? You could be the sexy maid and I'll be the hot pool boy."

Addison giggles. "I think we'd better stick to our day jobs."

"You could be right," Mark murmurs as he presses his lips to hers. He sighs and wraps his arms around her. "You know I'm here for you?"

Addison nods against his chest. "Yeah."

"Don't let those assholes get you down," Mark whispers. "What they say doesn't matter."

"No, it doesn't." Addison sniffles. "But it's so hard to hear what they say about us. What they say about you."

"We both know that they have no idea what they're talking about." Mark pulls back slightly as Addison looks up at him. "We know what the truth is. They don't."

"I know."

"So," Mark says with raised eyebrows. "How's our son treating you today?"

"He's good," Addison tells him with a smile as she unconsciously rests her hand on her growing stomach.

"Any nausea?" Mark asks.

"None. Not even a teeny tiny bit." Addison flashes her pearly whites at Mark. "I think it's gone for good."

"I hope so," Mark teases. "Because your puking does not a good wake-up call make."

Addison playfully slaps his shoulder. "We should probably get a move on."

"How many people do you think will be standing outside the doors when they open? Just waiting for us to come out?" Mark asks as he pushes the emergency button again and the elevator slowly begins creaking upwards.

"Well, we're going up four floors and we've been in here for about five minutes so..." Addison's lips twitch. "I'd say about..." The doors open. They turn to find at least fifteen people suddenly become very interested in anything but the elevator that they're supposedly waiting for. "...twenty or so."

Mark rolls his eyes as they wade through the throng of people. He squeezes Addison's hand just before they part to go in opposite directions. Just as he's about to round the corner to his office he hears Addison call after him, "I'll pick up dinner on my way home tonight."

"Just don't forget about dessert," he calls without hesitation and with a smile. He chuckles all the way to his office. However, he notices a few nurses coming his way and quickly ducks into his office before they can approach him.

"What are you so happy about?"

Mark takes an involuntary step backwards. "Jesus Christ Nancy-Pants. You about scared the shit out of me."

"Well that's a first," Nancy says, grinning. She nods at him. "What was so funny?"

"The rumor mill," Mark says, glaring slightly as he tries to force his heart to beat normally again. "They're like bloodhounds. One of them picks up the scent of gossip and it's all over the place in thirty seconds."

"They know, huh?" Nancy asks, smirking.

"Oh yeah." Mark nods. "They definitely know."

"And how does that make you feel?" Nancy asks and leans forward in her chair. "Validated?"

"I thought Kathleen was the shrink," Mark says, eyeing her warily.

"Whatever." Nancy waves him off.

"Is there a reason you're here Nance?"

"I have a question for you."

Mark squints his eyes suspiciously. "Go on."

"Do you think it would be okay if we threw Addison a baby shower?" Nancy asks. "Kathleen, Rachel, Lisa, and I were talking last night and I thought it might be fun for her. I mean, the whole affair thing kind of put a negative spin on this baby and we think it's about time everyone remembers that this is a happy occasion."

"Nance," Mark says, grinning, "I think that would be awesome. She'd love it. And you're right. It is about time everyone started remembering that this is a good thing."


	5. Chapter 5

**Not many fixes at all...**

-- -- -- -- --

The ladies decide to take an untraditional approach to the baby shower and whisk Addison off for a three-day weekend of rest and relaxation. At the spa, they're bathed in mud, wrapped in seaweed, and massaged until their muscles are so relaxed that Rachel almost falls when she stands afterwards. And that's only the first day.

The men, on the other hand, are on a different sort of mission. Mark decides that it's about time he finishes the guestroom-turned-nursery and quickly enlists Weiss, Ben, and Mike so that they can paint, furnace, and organize before Addison arrives home on Sunday. While Mark and Weiss head to Pottery Barn Kids, where they find a gorgeous white crib, rocking chair, and changing table set, Ben and Mike begin painting the room. By the time Mark and Weiss arrive back at the apartment Friday evening, the nursery walls are a wonderful Jungle Green shade and Mike, the artist of the group, is stenciling trees and animals onto the corners.

They quickly put together the crib and changing table, made easier by the fact that Ben, unlike Mark and Weiss, is willing to read directions, before returning to the nursery to help Mike stencil and paint the trees and animals. Before they know it, Sunday has arrived and, along with it, a call from Addison saying she'll be home within an hour. There's a mad dash to get everything put in its place, Trading Spaces style. Mark is just adjusting the Yankees mobile he bought when the sound of the door being unlocked is heard. All four of the men freeze for a few seconds before time speeds up dramatically. Mike throws the blanket over the rocking chair, Ben stuffs the last diaper into the giraffe holder, and Weiss whips the trash bag into the closet all at the same time. Mark scans the room quickly before deciding it's up to his satisfaction and the men walk into the living room just as their significant others meet them from the opposite side.

"You're up to something," Addison says suspiciously at the looks on their faces. "Did you burn the kitchen down while we were gone or something?"

"Why do you always think we've done something bad?" Mark asks.

"Because you usually _do_, do something bad," Nancy points out.

Mark smirks at her.

"So how was the spa?" Ben asks, jumping in to save his friend from his wife's infamous wrath. "Did you have a good time?"

"Oh yeah," Lisa says. "Manis and pedis are so nice."

"I bet," Mike grumbles. He puts his hands on his lower back and arcs forwards so that his back pops loudly. "The massages probably weren't so bad either."

"Nope, not so much," Addison says, grinning. "So, what did _you_ do this weekend?"

"You mean aside from drink beer and piss in house plants?" Nancy asks sarcastically. "Nothing, most likely."

All four men snort.

"You mean you did do more than drink beer and piss in plants?" Savvy asks skeptically. "So which one got sent to jail?"

Mark smirks. "Come on."

"I told you," Addison chuckles as Mark grabs her hand. "They burnt down the kitchen and now they're showing us the damage."

"Oh there is no damage," Mark says cockily as he leads Addison down the hallway to the nursery. "Now, I want you to close your eyes. No peeking."

"Mark, I've seen the guestroom before," Addison tells him.

"Just close your eyes Ad. And no peaking." He watches her until her eyes are closed before pushing the door to the nursery wide open. He gently pushes Addison forward into the middle of the room before telling her, "Okay, open them."

Addison opens her eyes slowly. The smirk on her face quickly melts into pure shock as she takes in all of the room's surprises. She can hear Lisa, Rachel, Savvy, Kathleen, and Nancy gasp as they pile into the room themselves, but can't tear her eyes away from the walls to gauge their reactions.

"Mark," she whispers, still turning in a slow circle. "Mark, it's gorgeous."

"How did you do this?" Nancy asks her husband.

"Mark and Weiss picked out the furniture, I put it together, and Mike did all the detail work on the walls," Ben says, grinning. "We've been planning this from the second you told us you wanted to take Addison away for the weekend."

"Why the hell didn't you do this for any of our kids?" Nancy scolds and slaps Ben's shoulder.

"Because none of us thought about it when our kids were born," Ben tells her.

Nancy blinked. "Good point."

An hour later, once everyone else has gone, Mark watches as Addison wanders back into the nursery. She's done this every few minutes since the reveal just so that she can marvel at the beauty of their child's room.

"So, you still think we sat around all weekend drinking beer and pissing in potted plants?" Mark asks as he pushes off the doorframe and shuffles into the nursery. He wraps his arms around her shoulders and smiles down at her. "Did I do good?"

"You did great," Addison tells him. "I just... Doesn't this make it seem so much more real?"

"Is that a bad thing?" Mark asks, concerned.

"No. No, not at all," Addison says softly. "It's just... He'll be here soon. You know?"

"Well that's why I figured this would be a good idea." Mark tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I didn't think Baby Sloan would be happy if he came home and didn't have his own room. Hey, are you okay?"

"Are we ready?" Addison whispers as tears begin to prick her eyes. "I mean, look how fucked up our lives are already. Are we really ready to be responsible for another human life?"

"Yes."

"How can you be so sure?" Addison asks, sniffling.

"Because of how you are with your nieces and nephews," Mark tells her. "Not to mention the countless babies you take care of every day."

"There's a big difference though. We can't just give him," she gestures to her abdomen, "back at the end of the day."

"And I wouldn't want to," Mark states simply. "Addison, what is it that you're afraid of?"

"What if I'm a terrible mother?" Addison asks, her words barely audible. "What if I'm cold and distant and the only thing my child remembers about me from his childhood is the way I stayed in bed for hours crying because I was too depressed to get dressed? What if I snap for no reason?"

"You're not your mother," Mark says softly. "You're not going to be like that. Like her."

"It's not like either of us had model parents." Addison sighs. "I just don't want to be like them."

"Then we won't," Mark tells her. "Don't you think I'm afraid? Ad, my father spent ninety percent of my life at the office or at the country club. The only time I ever spent with him was on Christmas and possibly Easter and even then he never paid me any attention. But we're not them. And we did have model parents. What about Jim and Emily?"

"I never met Jim," Addison says.

"Well he was a great guy." Mark smiles. "And he was exactly the kind of dad I want to be. It's going to be tough. I admit it. But together, we can do this. We can and we will. And if it gets to be too much sometimes, we've got a huge support system to take advantage of and to call in to babysit."

Addison giggles. "That's true."

"We've got this," Mark says and pulls Addison closer so that he can feel her breath on his neck. "We're a team. Okay?"

"Okay." Addison peeks up at him and smiles. "Thanks Mark."

"You feel better?" Mark asks. "Think we'll make it?"

"I know we will." Addison nods. "Because I've got you by my side."


	6. Chapter 6

**Mainly background changes... Nothing big at all. The next chapter, however, will be brand-spanking new. Yay!**

-- -- -- -- --

After eighteen hours of intense labor, their friends and family have gone home for the day and Addison is finally getting some well-deserved sleep. Mark, however, can't seem to keep his eyes closed for more than a few seconds at a time. All he can think about is the way it felt when his son was placed in his arms for the first time. Never, not in his whole life, did he think he could fall in love with something or someone so quickly.

With a deep sigh, Mark kicks the covers off of himself and kicks his legs over the side of the cot that had been set up in Addison's room for him. He rubs his eyes with his palms, takes a deep breath, and pushes himself to his feet. After pulling on a scrub top, he checks on Addison, who is sleeping peacefully with a grin on her face, before heading to the hallway.

He finds that his feet have automatically brought him to the nursery window. He spots Kyle in the very center of the nursery and silently taps the glass with the pads of his fingers. The baby smacks his lips together and yawns his tiny baby-yawn and Mark grins.

He's only staring at the perfection that is his son for a few minutes before he hears his name being called behind him. Mark turns and groans as a tall, leggy blonde makes her way to him.

Mark has known Jess Wilder since the day she was born; literally. She is the daughter of his father's business partner and, while she is eight years his junior, has always had a raging crush on him. It was annoyingly cute when he was a teenager, but he didn't really pay her any attention until the summer before he began his residency. He'd come home, caught her lounging around his pool, and couldn't believe that the little girl who'd followed him around company Christmas parties had turned into such a beautiful young woman.

So he pulled his usual routine and had her even more wrapped around his finger. The only problem was that she never really unwound. Even ten years later she still acted as if they'd been together for seven years, not just seven days.

"Jess," Mark mutters as she saunters up to him. "How have you been?"

"Okay," she says and smiles up at him from under her long eyelashes. "Better now that I've run into you."

Mark chuckles nervously. "And your parents?"

"Daddy just had surgery on his hip," Jess tells him. "Nothing major. He'll be released tomorrow."

"That's nice." Mark smiles forcefully and angles his body to the nursery. "Well, it was nice seeing you."

"That's all?" Jess asks, her whole demeanor changing. "You don't have anything to say to me?"

"Not really," Mark shakes his head, "no."

Jess narrows her eyebrows. "What are you doing up here anyway? Isn't this a little too cutesy for the reigning king of plastics? Shouldn't you be out there somewhere fucking an intern or something?"

Mark studies her for a moment before nodding at the glass. "See the boy in the center?"

Jess steps up to the glass, scans the room for a few seconds, and nods.

"That's my son," Mark informs her. "Kyle Avery Montgomery-Sloan."

"Oh." Jess looks up at him, surprised. "When did... Montgomery?"

Mark nods.

"Wait. Like Forbes-Montgomery?" Jess asks, confused. "Wasn't she married to-"

Mark nods again. "Yeah."

"But she's your best friend's wife," Jess says before realization dawns on her. "Oh. That's why he skipped town. Wow Mark. That's low."

"I know." Mark sighs.

"Does he know?"

"About Kyle?"

Jess nods.

"No, not yet." Mark shakes his head sadly.

"You wish he did though?" Jess asks, surprisingly sympathetic.

"I... Yeah." Mark frowns. "I always thought we'd celebrate the birth of my first child together, you know? I mean, it's not like we stayed up gossiping about what to name our unborn children or anything... But still." Mark's frown deepens. "And I have no idea why I'm telling you this."

"Because it's good to be able to talk to someone who isn't so close to the situation," Jess tells him. She nods in Kyle's direction. "So what's up with him? Are you just sharing a kid or are you and Montgomery staying together?"

"We moved in together a couple of weeks after Derek left," Mark admits. "Hopefully I won't mess it up."

Jess smiles and murmurs. "Hopefully."

"What?" Mark asks, noticing the look on Jess' face.

"You've grown up Mark," Jess says with a shrug. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks Jess." Mark chuckles.

"Well I..." Jess jerks her thumb behind her. "I should probably get going now. I promised I'd be there when Daddy wakes up."

"It was good talking to you Jess," Mark says and gives her a one-armed, incredibly stiff hug. "And I mean that. When you first walked up I was-"

"Not thrilled?" Jess guesses.

Mark nods sheepishly.

"You know," Jess says and wiggles her jewel encrusted ring-finger in the air, "you're not the only one to do some growing up. I'm a little too old for crushes now."

"Obsessions," Mark says before he can stop himself.

"Alright, obsessions," Jess says with a giggle. "Look, anyone with eyes can see that you're crazy about them. Just... Don't mess up your chances, okay?"

A half hour later Mark has finally torn himself away from the nursery and has wandered back into Addison's room to find her sitting up, waiting for him. She smiles as he settles himself on the edge of her bed and takes her hand in his.

"You went to see him?" Addison asks, smiling dreamily.

"I did." Mark licks his lips. "I ran into an old friend while I was out there."

"Oh?"

Mark nods. "Yeah. An old girlfriend actually."

"Oh."

"She told me not to screw up."

Addison snorts.

"And she told me that I've finally grown up," Mark says, eyeing Addison. "And you know what?"

"What?" Addison asks, grinning.

Mark chuckles as he runs his fingers along Addison's cheek. "I think she may be right."


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: New chapter... Finally! I took out the proposal scene b/c I really didn't like it.**

They have their first knockdown drag-out fight about 2 months after Kyle's birth. Mark comes home from a seventeen hour shift exhausted and smelly (not to mention there's still blood in his hair) to find that their apartment looks like it's been hit by a tornado. When Addison, who hasn't gotten a good night's rest in months, asks him how his day was he sneers and tells her it was obviously more productive than hers.

They scream at each other until Kyle joins in.

While Addison heads to the nursery to console their son, Mark's careful not to let the front door hit him on the ass as he slams it shut behind him.

Three hours and four doubles later, Mark is staring glassily at his drink when a tall brunette sidles up to him at the bar. He glances at her and then back down at his drink.

"Hey there," she says softly. "Can I buy you a drink?"

Mark looks up and tilts his full glass at her. "Nope. But I can buy you one."

She smiles prettily and orders herself a Kettle One martini. Mark raises his eyebrows and frowns into his drink. Addison loved Kettle One martinis. That is, she loved them before the dirty diapers and the crying and the sleepless nights; before the baby and the pregnancy and the affair.

"So," she says, giving her drink a stir. She smiles up at him from under her eyelashes. "What's your story?"

"My story?" Mark asks. He takes a deep breath and shakes his head. "I don't have a story."

"Everyone has a story," she says.

"Then what's yours?"

She chuckles softly and takes a sip of her drink. "My boyfriend broke up with me a few days ago."

"Ah." Mark nods. She's vulnerable and wants someone to make her feel pretty and he knows just how to play the game – he's done it for years. Give her a drink and a compliment and she'll be putty in his hands. "His loss."

She bites her lip. "Thanks."

Mark shrugs. "It's the truth."

"Would…" She hesitates and takes a deep breath. "Would you like to get out of here?"

"Look, you seem like a really great girl," Mark says, realizing that that's exactly what she is. He sighs. "And if you had asked me that question a year ago I would have already hailed the taxi. As it is, some men realize what they have without having to lose it first."

She almost looks relieved. "You do have a story."

Mark laughs. "I have a story."

"So?"

"So…" Mark says slowly and stands. He pulls a few bills from his wallet and throws them on the bar. "I think I should probably get home."

She smiles and gestures at her martini. "Well thanks for the drink. And the talk."

A few minutes later, Mark gently pushes open his front door and slowly makes his way into the apartment. The living room, he notices, has been cleared of clutter and the apartment is silent. To be honest, it's a bit unnerving. Eerie even.

Mark shrugs off his jacket, folding it neatly over the edge of the leather recliner, and heads in the direction of his and Addison's bedroom. Once at the door, he takes a deep breath and enters the dimly lit room.

"Hey," he says softly.

"Hey," Addison returns, her voice small. She's laying on the side of the bed with Kyle dozing between her chest and curled legs. She glances at Mark and whispers, "You came back."

"Of course I came back," Mark says, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "What would make you think I wasn't?"

"Derek didn't."

Mark steps forward just as Addison's shoulders shake and tears begin cascading down her cheeks. The sudden movement causes Kyle to whimper.

"Hey," Mark says as he sits down on the edge of the bed. He runs his fingers through Addison's wild curls. "I'm not Derek and I would never abandon you like he did. In fact," he grimaces comically, "I don't think you'd be able to get rid of me even if you wanted to."

Addison hiccups and smiles through her tears. "You promise?"

"I promise," Mark breathes. With a nod, he pulls Kyle up from the bed and says to Addison, "Come here."

Addison sniffles and sits up beside him so that their shoulders are touching. She lays her head on Mark's shoulder and takes a deep, calming breath as he wraps his free arm around her back.

"I'm sorry," Mark tells her while Kyle squints up at them from his lap. "I shouldn't have said the things I did."

"I'm sorry too," Addison says. "I shouldn't have thrown my Manolo Blahnik purple peep-toe pump at your face."

Mark chuckles. "That could've really hurt me."

Quite seriously, Addison says, "Or the shoe."


End file.
